Once
by atyinso
Summary: She didn't think unrequited love would hurt this much.
Vi clenched her fists.

She had never known this emotion until now.

Love. She's heard all about it. She remembered how she always laughed at how foolishly people would act under its spell, and how she thought she'd never be like that.

The only thing she'd laugh about right now was how stupid she was for thinking that.

But her throat remained dry, and her lips felt even drier. She licked them nervously, but for some reason that only made it feel worse.

Did she bring chapstick? She reached into all the pockets she had, and swore under her breath.

She didn't.

Her determination faltered because of that simple mistake. Was she even prepared for this? Something this big if she couldn't remember something so small?

She thought she'd been. She was going to wear the nicest articles of clothing she could find in her closet, but they weren't anything impressive. No, for Caitlyn, she had to go all out. She had to match her sophisticated preferences.

So she went out and went shopping at the more expensive clothing stores. A stylish jacket that barely provided any warmth. A pair of dress shoes that felt like boxes on her feet. Dress pants that were a stark difference from the old jeans she normally wore. The thin material rubbed against her legs uncomfortably, a constant reminder of the money she spent on this. She couldn't back out now. She couldn't afford to.

A bouquet of flowers in hand, her nose itching from the scent. Carnations of all different colors. Caitlyn had said something about her favorite flowers being carnations a while ago. A few weeks maybe. Vi didn't keep track, but she made sure she remembered.

The door in front of her, as elegant as the penthouse's owner. Caitlyn, of course, lived in the most luxurious housing that could be found in Piltover. Vi felt out of place here, and she knew she was. Hell, her apartment building only had two stories. Here, she could see the vast expanse of the city's richest district, the scene going on until it reached the horizon. The bright lights and impressive buildings and hextech technology that were the reason people came to visit Piltover, something someone from her part of town would rarely see.

In Piltover's poorer areas, the technology there was nothing compared to this. Vi had a toaster, a microwave. She knew someone that had a television.

It was only a little better than living in Zaun.

It was laughable, how she lived in the most advanced city on Valoran and worked with the paragon of power, yet only had the essentials at home.

She'd thought it'd be different when she came here. She'd thought that the poorest neighborhood in Piltover would be different from the ones in the other cities.

It wasn't. They just hid and ignored the poverty, just like the others.

At least Zaun didn't look down on the poor. To think that Zaunites would be less judgmental than Pilties.

Vi's heart ached.

Yes, she was nothing compared to her.

But…

Caitlyn gave her a chance. She believed in her before she even met her. Caitlyn wasn't like all the other aristocratic snobs. She was different.

That had to mean something. It had to.

Vi steeled her resolve and knocked.

Seconds felt like hours as she waited for the door to open and when it finally did, her heart almost stopped beating.

Caitlyn was wearing pajamas. Very skimpy pajamas. Granted, it was the middle of summer, but still.

"Vi?" Caitlyn asked, as she hid a large yawn. "What are you doing here so late?"

The enforcer raised an eyebrow. "Late? It's only around seven, isn't it?"

Caitlyn gave Vi a strange look. "Vi, it's ten past midnight," she deadpanned.

Vi blinked. "It is?"

Caitlyn's expression became one of annoyance, and Vi's heart rate started speeding up. "Yes, it is. Honestly, I know you're not exactly the kind of person to keep track of time, but this is just ridiculous."

"Oh." Well, she'd have to fix the clock at home since it was over five fucking hours off.

Caitlyn's gaze finally landed on the bouquet in Vi's arms as she noticed it for the first time. Her eyes widened. "Vi? Is this—"

Vi's cheeks started heating up. "Um, hold on."

She reached into one of her jacket's pockets and produced a single piece of paper, folded and slightly crumpled. She unraveled it and cleared her throat before reading it aloud.

"Caitlyn," she began, her voice shaky. "You gave me a second chance when no one else did. You were the only one that saw me as a person and not just a criminal. You've become a large part of my life, and I want to be as important to you as you are to me. Will you go out with me?"

"Vi, I…" Caitlyn trailed off, her eyes betraying her emotions of anguish, guilt, and pity. "You've gotten better at reading and writing."

The enforcer frowned slightly, but accepted the praise nonetheless. "Um, thanks. You're a great teacher and I've been practicing a lot. So, uh, what do you say?" She gave a forced smile, nothing like her usual suave grin. Her chest was filled with dread. She already knew the answer she was going to get, but it was too late to back out.

Caitlyn sighed, and she already felt like crying. "Vi, I want you to know that you mean a great deal to me. We've grown very close over the years, but… I just don't reciprocate these feelings. I hope you understand."

"Oh, it's no problem," Vi said with an extremely strained smile, her feigned cheerfulness completely transparent. "You don't choose who you like after all," she laughed loudly. Too loudly and too forced.

"I'm sorry," Caitlyn apologized. "I didn't want to hurt you."

 _It's too late for that_ , she thought bitterly, but she didn't say that. No, if she said that, she'd break down sobbing. She knew she would.

"I should, I should get going." Vi held out the flowers with outstretched arms, trying to stay as far away as possible from the sheriff. "Take these. They're for you, after all."

Caitlyn gingerly took the bouquet as if its touch would burn her. "Thank you, they're beautiful." She smiled, sad but genuine.

It made Vi feel a little better, but she knew she wouldn't last much longer. "Goodnight, Cupcake."

"Goodnight, Vi. I'll see you tomorrow," Caitlyn said before closing the door and returning to bed.

Vi stared at the door once again, emotions boiling inside of her. Only a few minutes ago, she stood here looking at it filled with foolish hope and anxiousness. Now…

She was right. Love made people fools, and she decided at that moment that she wouldn't ever pursue it again no matter what.

After all, she didn't think she could handle this type of pain more than once.


End file.
